桜の花びらたち
by Mustaches
Summary: A story that reflects upon graduation and entrance ceremonies. / Harutaka and implied Shinaya. AU, one-shot. Title translates to "Sakura no Hanabiratachi", or "The Sakura Petals".


**I'm feeling a little nostalgic.**

 **AU where nothing happens that August and they're able to continue with their lives. I just want them to be alive and happy and in a slice of life/school life manga, basically.**

 **Kagerou Project belongs to Jin.**

* * *

 _The first April of their high school lives._

 _Spring._

"We really do have the same uniforms…!" Ayano was the first (and last) person to cry, taking the sleeves of her sweater to wipe away the tears forming in her eyes. Out of two first-years (or the whole _class_ , probably), _this_ girl probably had to work twice as hard just to pass the entrance exam. Having a teacher as a father wouldn't even be able to help out – and even then, Ayano didn't _want_ his help.

" _I'll work hard to get into dad's school!"_ She had said, trying to look cool. _"It'll set a good example for my siblings!"_

And she was _hard-working_ , alright. Besides taking care of her siblings, cooking, doing the laundry, the regular chores, Ayano had taken up studying with every _spare second_. Shintaro was surprised at how focused she'd been the entire examination period; he even told his seniors that this amount of effort was the most Ayano had put into anything school-related.

(He didn't tell them that at one point, he'd found Ayano fast asleep in the classroom, with at least five textbooks open. She'd overworked herself, and so he watched over her instead of waking her up. She deserved her rest…and he wondered why he cared in the first place.)

"Are you _seriously_ keeping _this_ thing on, too?" Shintaro tugged on her scarf, making sure not to snag any loose hair.

"I have to!" Ayano replied through sniffles, the crying slowing down just a little bit. "Red's – "

"The color of heroes, I know." He'd heard that mantra of hers a _million_ times, but he never really grew _tired_ of hearing it. "Anyway…we should hurry up. The ceremony's about to start."

"Wait…!"

Ayano turned around, facing the gate so that her back was towards him. Petals were being swept away by the light spring breeze, and the scenery was a bright, cherry blossom pink. The road towards the school was a white carpet of cherry blossoms; the sun shone brightly, as if reminding the students that it was there, too.

A hand of her stretches out, and he sees her catching a petal. When she does so, she turns around, and she smiles as if she hadn't been crying earlier. It was almost _flawless_ , the way that she was able to pull it off.

"It's definitely spring!"

* * *

 _The second-to-last April of their high school lives._

 _Spring._

Takane's shoe locker was no different than the one from two years ago (read: the Special Needs class never changed their lockers), but now it all just seemed so _unusual_. The hallways, the cafeteria, and their classroom were still the same – so what felt different this time around?

 _Ah, maybe that's why._

Third-years. They were third-years at last. This was their last year in this high school, their last year as students. It was their last year to participate in the cultural festival, their last year wearing their uniforms. It was the last of everything, the last, the last, _the last_ …

A year from now – that's still a long way to go.

"Good morning, Takane!"

"Ah…" She slipped on her shoes, barely flinching at the all-too familiar voice. She could tell just by the way he'd walked over – his steps were airy yet full of life despite the fact that he could practically lose it at any moment. His voice hadn't changed much since their first year; there was a cheerful chirp to it, and he was always excited.

It was, without a doubt, Haruka.

"Good morning, Ha – _hah_?!" When she stood up straight, she hadn't expected to see such a…such a… _disaster_. He loomed over her easily, his height totally unreachable for someone as short (no, not short, just _petite_ , much like a delicate flower) as her. From afar, he might have looked a little scary.

But not right now…oh, _not right now_.

"What _happened_ to you?!" He was _covered_ in cherry blossoms, as if someone had dumped bucket after bucket on him. His shoulders bore mountains of white; his black hair was almost invisible, although the shower couldn't get rid of that terrible bed-head of his (but she was one to talk, seeing as she woke up without caring for her appearance today). That green sweater of his was speckled with petals, clinging on to him as if it was a part of the design.

"Oh, this?" He pointed to his head, and Takane saw his first smile of the new school year. ( _Why am I thinking of that, anyway? It's not like I don't see this idiot smile every day!_ ) "While I was walking to school, I thought, 'ah, these cherry blossoms are really pretty!' I thought of how it was a shame they'd been gone soon, and so I started to look up at them so I can draw them later…before I knew it, I'd been standing there for a whole twenty minutes, and I had petals all over!"

"And you didn't try to take them _off_?!" She was beginning to pick them off, making an absolutely _mess_ in this shoe locker aisle. She muttered a brief apology to those that have to put on their shoes in this pile of flowers, but… "You've got so many!"

"Aha…I guess I felt a little lucky that I had this many on…?" His laugh was something she would never get used; it would catch her heart off guard and it'd start pounding like crazy, just like it did now.

"Actually…there was one other thing."

Takane stopped what she was doing, looking up at Haruka with confusion written all over her face. He just _smiled_ at her, a smile that looked like it had more behind it than just pure bliss. She often called him an idiot, but…even he could think of something meaningful from time to time.

"Yeah? What is it?"

He put a finger in front of his mouth, grinning wider in a way that made her mind scramble frantically. How cruel of him to make her chest tighten in an unreasonable rush of feelings, to make her face pinker than those cherry blossoms. Every action was something she couldn't stray from, and her tired eyes would often wake up at just the very sight of him.

Her feelings haven't changed one bit.

"I'll tell you next spring!"

* * *

 _The second April of their high school lives._

 _Spring._

"So the third-years are graduating, huh…" Ayano looked out the classroom window, letting that breeze run through her hair. "It'll be a little lonely without Takane and Haruka."

"I guess." Shintaro answered, watching her from behind just like always. It seemed like he'd never be able to catch up to her.

"And we still have two years to go…" Ayano mused, watching those cherry blossom trees sway in the wind. "Let's make them meaningful, okay?"

* * *

 _The last April of their high school lives._

 _Spring._

"This is the last time we'll be in this classroom, isn't it?"

The last, the last, _the last_ – those words plagued them the entire year. It was as if nothing could be renewed, and in a way, they _couldn't_. Such memories can only happen once, and looking back on them, Takane realized that her high school years were the most eventful part of her life.

"I guess so…" One hand held her certificate, and the other tapped her used-to-be desk with drumming fingers. That was her past time the last three years, with her headphones (hopefully) plugged in as she slept more than once during class. It really can't be helped.

Something tugs at her from the back of her mind, a memory placed among all her other ones.

There were cherry blossoms, just like the ones outside.

It was rather vexing when one flew into the room, landing on top of her desk.

"You're thinking about last spring, huh?"

Her gaze snaps towards Haruka as if it is face was a natural view – and it was, if she had to be honest. That lethargic mood of hers is wiped away with his knowing smile, a smile she'd see in the near future as well.

(In the end, they chose the same university. Haruka even helped her study for their exams.)

"How'd you – "

"I wouldn't forget a promise I made with Takane!" He says this with a carefree tone, something that makes Takane's heart leap. Her feelings were warm, alarming, _energizing_ ; she didn't feel all that tired whenever Haruka was around.

Ah, in those past three years, she'd also…

"So, what is it?" She'd joined him by sitting in her own seat, shedding those bulky headphones for once. _Just this once,_ she thought, _I'll listen to Haruka completely._ No more playing around, no more childish intentions.

"I got to live another year, you know! For someone as sick as me, it's kind of a miracle. So, I made a promise under the cherry blossoms…"

He smiles at her, and it outshines the sun.

In those three years, she realized that she'd fallen in love.

"I made a promise to tell you something very important when we graduate! Takane, I…"


End file.
